Boeing 767 accident near Chicago, Illinois, October 28, 2016
On October 28, 2016, a 2003 Boeing 767, registered N345AN, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare International A airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 20 people had minor injuries; 149 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) stage 2 disk, which severed the main engine fuel feed line and breached the right main wing fuel tank, releasing fuel that resulted in a fire on the right side of the airplane during the takeoff roll. The HPT stage 2 disk failed because of low-cycle fatigue cracks that initiated from an internal subsurface manufacturing anomaly that was most likely not detectable during production inspections and subsequent in service inspections using the procedures in place. Contributing to the serious passenger injury was (1) the delay in shutting down the left engine and (2) a flight attendant's deviation from company procedures, which resulted in passengers evacuating from the left overwing exit while the left engine was still operating. Contributing to the delay in shutting down the left engine was (1) the lack of a separate checklist procedure for Boeing 767 airplanes that specifically addressed engine fires on the ground and (2) the lack of communication between the flight and cabin crews after the airplane came to a stop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2016
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare International A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 20 people had minor injuries; 149 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 323, built 2003 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- N345AN · no longer on the register · serial N345AN
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-18/01. On October 28, 2016, about 1432 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 383, a Boeing 767-323, N345AN, had started its takeoff ground roll at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, when an uncontained engine failure in the right engine and subsequent fire occurred. The flight crew aborted the takeoff and stopped the airplane on the runway, and the flight attendants initiated an emergency evacuation. Of the 2 flight crewmembers, 7 flight attendants, and 161 passengers on board, 1 passenger received a serious injury and 1 flight attendant and 19 passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation. The airplane was substantially damaged from the fire. The airplane was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Uncontained engine failure during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact)
- Evacuation
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Cabin crew
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Flight crew
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Flight crew
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Cabin crew
- cause Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › Equipment manufacture › Manufacturer
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Design › Task design › Manufacturer
- Organizational issues › Management › Resources › Adequacy of documents/info › FAA/Regulator
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Emergency proc training › FAA/Regulator
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 17,400 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all; 1,846 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 7, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 15, 2011
- Seats: 220
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF6-80C2 B6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF6-80C2 B6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KORD Chicago IL at 7:32 pm
- Destination: KMIA Miami FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28R, 13,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from KORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 6 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 19 | 141 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N345AN the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
1983-03-17MIA83LKA02 · accident near Lajas, PR · destroyed · serious injuries
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.